Chapter 12

As promised at Bernard's birthday party, it was decided that we would go on a picnic on the day when both my and the Captain's days off coincided.

I had packed sandwiches and fruit water into a basket, but I was a bit at a loss. I had been on picnics with adult men for work, but I had never taken a child. I didn't know what children did on picnics. I had never gone on a picnic when I was a child.

"Well, it'll be fine."

I said this out loud to change my mood and waited for the Captain with Nonna.

The Captain arrived in a small carriage he was driving himself. After getting us in, he said, "We're going to a forest about an hour away." Nonna was unusually fidgety in the carriage.

"Nonna, are you excited?"

"Yeah."

"What do you want to play?"

"Tree climbing."

"Nonna likes tree climbing, huh?"

"Yeah."

I was teaching Nonna all sorts of things. Since I had no power or status, I felt that if things continued as they were, her cuteness could become a curse unless she was very lucky.

It didn't matter what she learned—reading, writing, arithmetic, languages, cooking, martial arts—anything would do. I didn't want Nonna to have to make choices like becoming subservient to men for money, or exchanging herself for money. I wanted her to have the means to be financially independent and the skills to resist those who might try to force her into submission.

Even tree climbing is better than not being able to do it. It would give her an extra escape route in an emergency.

We eventually arrived at the forest, and the Captain stopped the carriage in a slightly open area.

"You must be tired. Let's rest a bit."

"Yes, let's do that."

We sat down, but Nonna, who had never been to such a place before, was playing around. She was walking around, picking up stones and throwing them at the trunks of distant trees.

Thud!

The stones hit the trunk of a tree one after another as she moved to different spots. The Captain, who was watching, seemed surprised that six-year-old Nonna hit all the stones.

"Nonna, that's amazing. Just reaching that tree is impressive, but you hit all of them."

"Vicky is better."

"Is that so? Victoria, I'd like to see you try."

"Ahaha... me?"

(Should I throw poorly? Would this person see through it?)

"Captain, please show us first."

"Sure."

The Captain threw the stones. They all hit the same spot on the tree trunk. I see. If I can hit them, it should be fine.

I threw the stones, intentionally missing one and hitting the rest.

"Nonna and Victoria are both amazing."

"I was a rambunctious child."

"Was a rambunctious child!"

I was happy to see Nonna enjoying herself. Her blue-gray eyes were shining.

(I'm glad we came on this picnic.) As I watched Nonna's happy face, she took off her shoes and started climbing a tree in her socks.

"Hey, now you're climbing a tree. Don't fall."

"Vicky is better!"

The Captain's gaze, which was looking at me in surprise, was painful.

"I was a rambunctious child from the countryside."

I repeated the same line.

I hadn't given Nonna detailed instructions. I believe that if you want to make sure she keeps her promises, fewer rules and restrictions are better. But now, I realized, "A playful child will blurt out everything unless you remind them."

"I won't climb. I'm wearing a skirt."

"I understand."

The Captain laughed. When he laughed, wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes, and his stern face became gentle. His voice was also nice. Nonna climbed quite high and sat on a branch, swinging her legs while looking down at us.

"That's dangerous."

The Captain headed towards the tree, apparently ready to catch her if she fell. I wasn't too worried because I knew Nonna's skills, but I went to the base of the tree with him.

"Did you really teach her this? It's dangerous, don't you think?"

"If we keep her away from all dangerous things, she'll grow up to be a woman who can only be protected."

The Captain glanced at me. Did he not like it?

"I was being cheeky."

"No, I was just surprised. I've never met a woman who would say something like that."

Eventually, Nonna came down safely. I thought the Captain would warn her, "That's dangerous," but he didn't say anything. After that, we played tag and picked flowers together until lunchtime.

"The food I cooked the other day was delicious, but these sandwiches are also great."

"Thank you."

Today, I prepared three types of sandwiches: chicken and vegetable, boiled egg, jam and butter, and boiled pork with plenty of mustard and chopped onion.

As expected, the Captain seemed to prefer the ones with meat and eggs. The jam and butter sandwiches were Nonna's favorite.

"Did you work as a cook? Or were you a scholar?"

"I have worked as a cook. Languages are really just a hobby."

"Wow, that's impressive."

"Do the nobles learn several languages from a young age?"

"Well, yes. Are you a commoner?"

"Yes, I was born into a poor family. I had to do everything."

"I see."

The Captain's gaze seemed to be tinged with sympathy for a moment, which made me feel uncomfortable. (That was the kind of job I had.) I added in my mind.

Nonna, who was sitting on the blanket, hugged me and put her arms around my neck. I affectionately stroked her slender arms.

"Are you having fun?"

"Yeah."

When Nonna and I first started living together, she was hesitant to touch me, but recently she has become much more affectionate.

I had separated from my sister when I was eight, so I had a vague impression that she was cute, but I didn't have many memories of us as sisters.

"You seem to have really taken to her."

"Yes, she's so cute. I didn't know children could be this cute."

Hearing our conversation, Nonna pressed her cheek against my tied-up hair. This was a gesture she often made when she was happy and wanted to be affectionate.

"I'm glad you brought us on this picnic."

"Yeah! Was it good for Vicky too?"

"Yes, it was good. It was fun."

Then Nonna released her arms from around my neck and ran off, leaping high into the air, folding her upper body forward, pulling her knees to her chest, and doing a forward flip before landing on both feet.

Oh my.

A forward flip, which she had never successfully done before. When children are excited, their abilities seem to increase by about 50% compared to normal.

The Captain, who was surprised, opened his eyes wide and turned his face towards me.

"Did you teach her that too?"

I smiled wryly and didn't answer. The Captain shook his head slightly and turned his face back to Nonna.

The picnic ended with many happy memories. We headed towards the carriage, and the Captain, with one foot on the driver's seat, stopped.

"I thought it would be nice to have a private time for the three of us, but it didn't work out."

"If you're tired, I can drive the carriage."

"That's not it. If there was a driver, we could have talked for two hours on the way back and forth. But it's pointless to ask you... you can do anything, can't you?"

"There's a saying, 'Jack of all trades, master of none.'"

"That saying doesn't apply to you."

The Captain gently stroked my tied-up hair with his dominant hand before sitting in the driver's seat.

If this were for work, I would have smiled happily, but I wasn't sure what kind of face I was making now. It was a gesture that might make some people uncomfortable, but I didn't feel uncomfortable.

Nonna, who seemed tired, fell asleep on my lap. I felt a pleasant fatigue and looked out the window.

I had worked in various jobs and taken on different social statuses. I didn't dislike the organization or the work. I had been able to contribute to my family and spent a very intense and meaningful nineteen years.

But I had never had a crush on a man or experienced a real picnic. I probably lacked many things compared to people who had taken more conventional jobs, even if I wasn't aware of it.

But I could fill in the gaps myself from now on. There was no need to rush. Besides, there's no rule that a perfectly round life is more valuable than a crooked one. Filling in the gaps could be fun.

I realized that the corners of my mouth were slightly upturned.